The Blog

Whether you’re a Landlord or Tenant, understanding the difference between commercial and retail leases is pretty important; whilst the rules are similar, they are also quite different regarding the obligations from the Tenant. Let’s break it down in simpler terms:   What is the difference? A retail lease is used where there is a sale […]

For 18 months, this office just sat vacant, gathering dust with an online listing that had little information and dark low quality photos. Then Modo came along and flipped the script. In the end, we didn’t just sell the office; we exceeded expectations by selling it for more than the asking price! How did we […]

Thinking about leasing your first commercial property? Let us start by clarifying that it’s nothing like your typical residential lease! Commercial leases are tailored to reflect an agreement between a Landlord and Tenant; unlike residential, it is a very personalised document and very few commercial leases are the same. Here are a few things that first time […]

“Initiative is like a magical cure-all elixir. Pick up the phone and make a call, send an email, follow up all leads.”   Our commercial team did two off-market deals this week, one sale in Bundoora and a lease in Ringwood. Both came to fruition because of how we follow up with our clients. 16 […]

If you are entering into a commercial or retail lease, you will need either a security deposit or bank guarantee. A security deposit is a cash bond whereas a bank guarantee is an undertaking from a bank or credit union to guarantee payment of the amount to the Landlord in case of Tenant default. Bank […]

As much as real estate agents love to say that we know what a property is going to sell and lease for, we can’t look into a crystal ball and see the future. There are many factors at play that influence the market or demand for properties and these conditions can change very quickly. That […]

Rent-free periods are traditionally offered to an incoming tenant in lieu of landlord works. Basically, if the tenant has a fit-out requirement for their business, instead of the landlord paying for this work, the tenant organises it themselves and is compensated with rent-free. Sometimes a rent-free period is offered to a tenant purely as a […]

Have you or someone you know said this recently? “I’ve just missed out on a property I wanted” “It’s just gone under offer” “The agent said they actually sold off market” “There were multiple offers” As agents, we spend a lot of time on the road and there has been a notable increase in ‘sold’ […]

With real estate news seemingly focusing exclusively on rising interest rates and correlating market movements one wouldn’t think that tenancy usage would be a big deal, however, it’s quite a topical issue at the moment. Like anyone with a mortgage right now, the financial squeeze is hitting small business owners (many of whom are still […]

Over the past couple of decades, there has been a real attitude shift amongst real estate professionals regarding the amount of property information that is displayed to the public when advertising. This happened circa 2005-2007 and almost directly correlates with the rapid rise of realestate.com.au and realcommercial.com.au (REA group), commercialrealestate.com.au (Domain) and propertylook.com.au (commercial portal […]

Wanting to know if a space will be suitable for your business?  Understanding and addressing key factors such as location, competition, and the local community are all important points to consider when trying to find the right the perfect location for your business. Clear and informed decisions made during the property search promote a sense […]

The musings of a commercial agent Last Sunday I went for a walk along Riversdale Road in Hawthorn because, frankly, I like checking out retail strips. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I deeply enjoy admiring historic brick buildings and taking in the ‘personality’ of each suburb, city, or country I walk around in with […]

With phone technology undergoing serious improvements over the years, more agents are arguing that smartphone cameras can now replace professional photography. What does this mean for commercial real estate marketing? I can still remember being in my early 20s and my first boss telling me “the advert only needs to be good enough to get […]

There’s a lot that happens between a Tenant agreeing to lease a property and the lease commencement date. Namely – there’s a lot that goes into assessing the suitability of a commercial property and whether it provides value for the Landlord as well as for the Tenant. Once our leasing team has successfully found someone […]